


Leaves from the Vine

by SavingAcadia



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 100 Year War (Avatar TV), Abuse, Ba Sing Se, Bending (Avatar), Betrayal, Canon Compliant, Earth Kingdom (Avatar), Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Firebending & Firebenders, Healing, Hurt, Moral Dilemmas, Northern Water Tribe, Original Character(s), Post-100 Year War (Avatar TV), Romance, Scars, Southern Water Tribe, The Jasmine Dragon (Avatar), War, Water Tribe(s) (Avatar), Waterbending & Waterbenders, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:06:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28034379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SavingAcadia/pseuds/SavingAcadia
Summary: Kai had been tending to the sick of Ba Sing Se her whole life, but she had never seen a fever like this. Wiping the sweat from Lee's forehead was a fruitless effort as it spilled from beneath his shorn hair. She slid down the blanket to reveal his bare chest and laid a gentle hand down to feel his heartbeat. Kai screamed in pain before she could find a pulse, flying backward and knocking over her bucket of water as she gripped her burning hand to her heart, backing into a vase a shattering it in her shock. The loud commotion instantly summoned the boy's uncle who appeared in the doorway. Kai looked at the old man wide-eyed. She could feel the blood pulsing through her blistered hand and looked down to see the tender red skin across her palm. She held out the damaged hand to the old man."You're not who you say you are."Ever since the incident, Kai was aware of Iroh and Zuko's true identities. She helped around the tea shop and kept Zuko company, much to his delight, but when Zuko betrayed Kai and returned to the Fire Nation with Azula, Kai finds herself being scarred by the selfishness of the boy she once thought she was falling in love with.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Character(s), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	1. White Dragon

Kai sat by the boy's side. The night was cold but his body radiated endless heat. In all her years as a healer in Ba Sing Se, Kai had never seen a fever quite like this. Lee's uncle, Mushi, rushed to her door in the middle of the night, begging for help. He said the sickness had come on suddenly, that his nephew had returned home and instantly fell to the ground. When they arrived back at the tea maker's small apartment, Kai saw the sick boy lying on the floor, a spilled bucket of water beside him. His black hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and he looked like he was struggling to breathe. She was quick to drop to her knees and get to work.

Kai had been tending to Ba Sing Se’s sick since she was a little girl. She had no parents, Kai had been a child to a refugee couple that no one really knew what had happened to them. No one knew where she was from, what nation she’d been born in. The city’s healer had taken her in and taught her everything he’d known. He was the closest thing she had to family, but he had been old when he took her in, and he died peacefully a few years ago. Since then Kai had taken her full responsibility for the town’s medicinal needs. Only 17 and yet carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Lee stirred beneath her and Kai returned to tenderly dabbing the boy’s forehead with a wet rag, trying to subdue the sweat the would not stop. There wasn’t much she could do for a fever like this. Kai continued to care for Lee after convincing his uncle to get some much needed rest. The home was quiet aside from the rasping breaths coming from the boy beneath her. Kai carefully slid the green blanket down to expose Lee’s pale chest as it struggled to rise and fall. She felt a faint blush burn at her cheeks and while she tried to tell herself it was from the heat radiating off the sick boy, she knew that it might have something to do with being so intimately close to one of the few boys her age in the slums of Ba Sing Se. There weren’t many young men in the refugee town, most had been enlisted to fight in the war one way or another.

As Lee’s chest stuttered, gasping for air, Kai reached down to feel his heartbeat, gently laying a hand down over his heart. She screamed in pain before she could find a pulse, flying backward and knocking over her bucket of water as she gripped her burning hand to her heart, backing into a vase a shattering it in her shock. Kai looked down to see the tender red skin littering her palm, blisters already beginning to form. The sound of heavy footfalls rushed to the scene and Kai looked up to see Uncle Mushi in the doorway. His mouth opened slightly when he saw the girl gripping her injured hand.

Kai held out her damaged hand to the old man. Her arm shook as it struggled to hold up its own weight as adrenaline rushed through her body.

“You’re not who you say you are.”

The old man closed his eyes and exhaled. He seemed lost in thought for a moment and Kai struggled to stay calm in the silence. After a beat, he opened his eyes and looked up at the terrified Kai.

“My nephew needs your help. Please.”

His eyes were sincere and his voice calm. Kai kept her hand raised in defense, but peeked over her should to see Lee’s labored breath. She spotted the now empty bucket beside him and the pool of water seeping across the floorboards.

“Can you get me some more water?” She asked, slowly lowering her hand and dropping to the floor once again.

When the man returned, he told Kai a story about a shamed Fire Nation General and a banished prince. It almost sounded like a bedtime story, the way he talked about abandoning the Fire Nation and hiding as fugitives. She knew this was the story of how he and his nephew had ended up as refugees in Ba Sing Se and yet it seemed distant, like it wasn’t the reality, but perhaps that was the burn on her hand speaking. Kai found herself struggling to tear her eyes away from the pale boy beneath her hands as Iroh told her about the disgraced Price Zuko, scarred by his father and sent away to restore his honor.

Kai stayed by the boy’s side until morning, careful not to touch his burning skin again. Come morning, his uncle returned and the fever had settled. Iroh offered the girl a morning tea before she left, and she sat near him as he prepared the kettle. She watched the old man as she carefully bandaged her tender hand after ignoring it all night. Iroh smiled to himself as he heated the water with his bare hand. The shameless firebending was upsetting to Kai. She’d never seen a fire bender in person before, but she knew what the Fire Nation had done and why she was left without heritage in a refugee town. Still, Iroh was kind. Kai wasn’t sure if that counted for anything in the midst of a war, but the pair had done nothing in Ba Sing Se but open a tea shop, so as off putting as it was, she was going to give them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone in this town had a story, a reason to search for refuge. If they had come to conquer Ba Sing Se they sure weren’t going to do it from the forgotten corner of useless immigrants.

Iroh poured some steaming tea into a small cup and handed it to Kai, explaining, “In my culture, we do not have this tea. The white dragon bush is a rare plant that only grows in the earth kingdom, but when brewed properly, it can create a tea so delicious it’s heartbreaking.”

Kai smiled as she held the tea close to her face. “Rare indeed. I use it in me healing sometimes,” she explained before taking a sip from the sweet and warm tea. “It cures pain and helps clear away toxins.” After mentioning ails it releases, Kai looked down at the teacup in her now bandaged hand and sighed. “Thank you.”

Kai took another sip from the tiny tea cup and reveled in the comforting warmth from the drink, detoxing her sore body after a sleepless night of work. She looked forward to returning home after finishing her tea and collapsing into bed.

“AHH!” Zuko’s scream shattered the quiet of the room and Kai was quick to set down the tea and rush to the sick boy’s side. 

He seems disoriented and panicked, so Kai dropped to her knees and gently called to him, “Zuko,” bringing the young prince back to reality.

He breathed heavy for a moment, the sucked in harshly as he registered the use of his name. He looked at Kai in shock for a moment then shot daggers at Iroh, “Uncle!”

Iroh shrugged and argued, “Don’t blame me, you’re the one who burned her.”

Once again Zuko turned wide-eyes to Kai, panning down her body until his eyes landed on the bandaged hand in her lap. He turned violent very quick, like an animal backed into a corner.

“If you speak a word of this to anyone I will personally bury you and mark the grave with your tongue.” Zuko had grown frighteningly close, suddenly standing right over Kai with a threatening finger.

The room was still for a moment before Iroh tried to reconcile the violent outburst. “Nephew—“

“It’s okay,” Kai interrupted. “You don’t have to worry about me telling anyone.”

“And why is that?” Zuko leaned in, clearly not sold and not prepared to put an ounce of faith in the girl who’d spent all night tending to his fever. “Am I supposed to believe you won’t walk out that door and serve the kingdom where your loyalty lies—“

“I have no loyalt,” Kai spat into the boys face.

“Nephew, you must be tired from the sickness,” Iroh budded in as the two teenagers scowled at each other, “Allow me to brew you another pot of tea.” Without waiting for a response Iroh stood and excused himself from the room.

Without moving, still invading her personal bubble, Zuko whispered, “I don’t trust you.” He ripped himself away and chased after his uncle. Kai sighed and showed herself out, squinting at the bright light assaulting her eyes. She shielded her face with a hand as she stumbled through the bustling streets as everyone set up the morning market place.

She was greeted by some of the elders of the town who had seen her grow up. Aunt Zifeng, an ancient woman with a fruit stand waved her over despite Kai’s protests.

“Auntie,” Kai begged, “I’m so tired. Ive been working all night.”

“You shouldn’t do that, Kaiya. You’ll get sick,” the woman tisked at Kai with a wagging finger. “Here, take this.” Aunt Zifeng pulled a perfectly ripe apple out of the mediocre pile and tucked it safely into Kai’s bandaged hands. The poor woman was so old she couldn’t even see or feel that they were there, she simply insisted, “It’ll keep you healthy. You know what they say: an apple a day keeps the doctor away!”

“Auntie, I am the doctor,” Kai laughed. Aunt Zifeng was a kind, albeit confused old woman and she did this every day. Kai had been called out in the middle of the night to all kinds of dementia fueled hijinks Aunt Zifeng got into. She’d had to talk the crazy old woman off of a roof once because she thought she was feeding the turtlenecks, but was rather sitting on a gutter tossing stones at the residential military men that patrolled the town. Kai knew more intimately than anyone how crazy Aunt Ziefend was, but she’d never shown Kai anything but love and Kai could never find the strength to not return it. “Thank you, Auntie,” Kai insisted, making the old woman give a quivering smile.

Kai was quick to drop her things upon returning home and shut the curtains to block out as much light as possible. Her line of work left her out and up at all horrific hours of the night, so she often found herself having to sleep during the day. Between the long night, the injuries to her hands, and the confrontation with the strange boy, Kai was more exhausted than ever. As soon as she had blocked out the light, she collapsed to her deflated mattress on the floor and shut her eyes, groaning as the pain began to hit her once again.

By the time Kai woke up the sunset was painting orange streaks on her floor through the tears in the curtains. Her hands were throbbing from the fresh burns. It stung to push herself up from the bed, but she sucked in to avoid facing the pain. Kai wandered over to her kit, pulling out a roll of gauze and a jar of a salve she had made a month ago. It was nearly gone and she grimaced at the thought of using it up on herself, but the girl had never faced burns like this before. She’d known plenty of people who came seeking refuge in Ba Sing Se covered in scars from the Fire Nation, but they had time to heal, and the Fire Nation had never infiltrated the wall, so Kai really had never interacted with firebending so intimately before.

When Kai opened her front door, the sun had set and the marketplace had cleared away for the night. The only life left was in the lamplight of the few shops that existed in the town. She figured she might as well check in on Mushi and Lee, so she quietly shut the door behind her and stumbled over to the Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop. There were only a couple customers at this time of night, and Kai watched as Mushi and Lee smiled and mingled with the customers. The lamplight made the shop feel warm and welcoming. She sat at a table close to the door, her eyes drifted to watching Lee smile as he poured steaming tea into one of the soldier’s cups. The boy looked up and saw Kai and he immediately scowled. She wanted to roll her eyes, but the girl forced her self to just smile and wave to him.

As soon as he could excuse himself, Lee hurried over to where Kai sat, once again leaning into her personal space, and hissed, “What are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d check in on you, see how you’re doing,” Kai shrugged. “Besides, I was hoping to get another brew of that white dragon tea your uncle makes.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” he threatened, his expression was cold and hard.

“Where would you rather I be?” Kai asked, “Telling the Dai Le that you’re—“ Kai couldn’t finish her sentence as her mouth was taken over by the boy’s warm hand. She managed to shove him off of her. “Relax! I was just joking,” she insisted.

Lee was beginning to fume, blocking her off with a hand on either side of the wall behind her. His face was now only a couple inches away and Kai could swear she saw sparks falling out of his mouth as he leaned in menacingly.

“You’re playing a dangerous game.”

Over Lee’s shoulder one of the soldiers called out, “Get a room!” While some of the others whistled and cat called. Mushi glanced over to his nephew and Kai and signed, shaking his head and returning to work.

Lee grabbed Kai’s arm so hard she could feel the blood stop circulating as he dragged her out the front door. Kai stumbled over her feet, yelping at how her skin burned from the tugging beneath the boy’s death grip and he pulled her around to the side of the building. He forcefully threw her into the wall, causing Kai to grunt from the impact. The moment he let go of her she yelled, “What’s your problem?!”

“You’re my problem!” He yelled back, gesturing with both hands toward Kai.

Kai scoffed. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“You say that, but I don’t know that. You have loyalty to your kingdom that—“

“What is it with you and loyalty?!” Kai shouted. “I already told you, I have no loyalty.”

The boy continued, growing more frustrated by the minute, “I know you think that, but there is always loyalty. You have a kingdom to serve—“

“Like they serve me?!” Kai interrupted. “Like they’ve ever spared so much as a thought toward the refugees in my town? Like they don’t have the same blood on their hands as the Fire Nation?” Zuko cringed as Kai spat out the words at him. The Fire Nation.

“But you’re from here…” He tried to argue, lacking the fire he had a moment before.

“I’m not.” Kai signed, relief falling over her as the night grew quiet again. A cold breeze drifted past both of them. Kai shifted uncomfortably. “They think my parents were trying to escape after an invasion, take refuge here in Ba Sing Se. I was found as a baby at one of the refuge camps outside the wall. No one really knows what happened, all we know for sure is I was alone and abandoned. They still managed to bring me here and I was raised by the town, but no one really knows where I’m from.” Kai looked up to see Zuko’s changing expression and she couldn’t really decipher it. She insisted once again, “I have no loyalties.”

After a moment of silence between the two, Zuko sighed and begrudgingly tipped his head to the side as a gesture to invite Kai back inside. Kai curled her lip up into a half smile as she followed him. She couldn’t exactly tell why. Maybe it was because there were few teenagers in the town for her to interact with. Especially in her line of work, she mostly interacted with the elders of the town, so even the argument was appreciated.

Kai returned to her seat by the door and watched as Lee resumed his role, walking to the back of the store where his uncle was and helping to prepare the tea. Mushi continued to wait on the group of soldiers as Lee returned to Kai with a tray, pouring two cups before sitting across from her.

He took a sip before telling her, “Uncle says this is on the house. A thank you for helping me last night.”

Kai smiled and took a sip from her own cup, reveling in the warmth and the sweet flavors of the white dragon. Neither of the teenagers said another word as they worked their way through the pot of soothing tea. It was oddly comfortable. Lee had just refilled Kai’s cup when another soldier came in frantic.

“I need back up. It’s that crazy old lady again. She’s in the fountain and she’s yelling at everyone to get out of her bath house.” Kai choked on her tea spilling the hot brew over her bandages as she set it down.

“Auntie.” She shot Lee an apologetic look as she ran out of the restaurant to the nearby fountain. Sure enough Aunt Zifeng was standing in the fountain, trying to scrub her arms through her sopping wet clothes. “Auntie what are you doing here?” Kai begged as she approached the old woman.

“Kaiya, would you like to join me? I just drew a bath.” Kai saw the soldiers hurrying out the Jasmine Dragon and approaching.

“Auntie this isn’t your bath house. We need to get you home.” Kai reached out to her confused elder but to no avail.

The residential soldiers pranced up to the scene, one of them demanding, “Maam, you need to leave the fountain and go home.”

In turn Aunt Zifeng turned to the man and said, “You like what you see, sailor?”

Kai struggled not to smile at that comment. She hid her face as she leaned over to take off her shoes, dropping them next to the fountain and stepping into the cold water with her frigid bare feet. She reached out to the old woman to steady her with both hands.

“Auntie, you’re all clean, okay? Let’s get you inside and dried off.” The old woman finally obliged and let Kai help her step out of the fountain. Kai was careful to be gentle as she took her auntie’s frail hands and began to lead her down the street back to the home where the woman’s kids took care of her. Briefly, Kai glanced over the old woman’s short head and saw Lee standing in the doorway to the tea shop, watching.

Once she got Aunt Ziefeng back safe, Kai returned home, her feet sore from the harsh gravel beneath them. Once she reached the door, tired and cold, she saw the shoes she’d discarded sitting out front waiting for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this kind of works as a one-shot, I realize, but I've had this idea knocking around for a while now and so I plan to take it through canon and a little bit after. I don't 100% know how many chapters it will be, but I'm estimating 10-15. If things go my way, I'll maybe post a new chapter about every two weeks.
> 
> (Also I need constant validation to motivate me, so any comments or kudos is HELLA appreciated)
> 
> Mwah


	2. Ribbon

Kai’s hands had healed enough that the blisters had dissipated and the red shine had muted to a lattice of mauve scarring across her palms. It was her first day out of the bandages, and she felt like she couldn’t so much as grasp a fist like this. She was out of salve. Her hair had finally fallen from where it was tied up on her head days ago. It was beyond repair, and Kai simply didn’t have the dexterity to twist it back into shape, so she tugged at the loose ribbon and let the almost black mess fall into her face. With a huff, she attempted to blow the strands out of her eyes, but they fell right back into place, and she gave up immediately after.

Kai sighed as she slid a pair of leather gloves over the tender skin of her hand until her marbled fingers poking out were all that was left to be seen. She hated me to go out like this, but she needed more salve, if not for her then for somebody else, but to do that, she needed more herbs. So Kai continued to clumsily prepare to venture out into the wilderness. She wrapped her arms with a tight band of canvas to protect them from the sharp branches, and her green tunic met the wraps at her elbows.

As soon as she stepped out into the sunlight, it was clear the day was hot and the humidity unbearable. Still, Kai took a staggering breath of thick air and ventured down the bustling street. The marketplace was packed this time of day, and she struggled to nudge past all the townspeople on her way into the Jasmine Dragon. It was understandably empty. Iroh stood behind the counter, organizing and cleaning, while Zuko seemed to just be leaning lazily on his elbows as he talked to his uncle. Kai couldn’t believe how comfortable they looked in a hot tea shop when she was already breaking a sweat having just walked here. When she walked in, Zuko did a double-take before pushing himself off the counter to stand upright.

“What are you doing here?” He asked instantly, somewhere between accusatory and confused. He kept blinking, and Kai wondered if he had something caught in his eye.

“I was on my way out of town, and I thought I’d check in on you, make sure you’re still doing okay,” Kai looked up at him through her long hair as she approached. She couldn’t believe he was completely dry in the midst of this humidity. She suspected it was a fire bender thing, and it made sense seeing as he could manage enough heat to burn her hands the way he did, but Kai wasn’t about to ask.

“Your um—” Zuko shifted and crossed his arms, leaning away from Kai a bit. “Your hair.”

Kai furrowed her brows, unsure what Zuko thought he was trying to communicate. “My hair,” she repeated slowly, waiting for him to elaborate in any way.

“It’s…” Zuko uncrossed his arms again and tried to straighten up. “…down.”

“Oh,” Kai responded dully, trying to push the heavy black hair out of her eyes. “I um—“ Kai hesitated to continue but decided to finish her thought anyway. “I still can’t tie it up,” she explained, holding her gloved hands up as evidence. Zuko blinked. His eyes seemed to be searching for something, and Kai couldn’t imagine what. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Kai interrupted, “Anyway, I was just on my way out of town. I need to pick more herbs. I mean— I have a garden and a lot of them, but it's specifically the white dragon. I can't get it to grow, and it's incredibly hard to find.” Kai paused, realizing she was over-explaining and speaking way too fast. “I thought—“

“I can help you,” Zuko interpreted before sucking in a breath. “Your hair, I mean.” Zuko pointed to the warm black mess of hair that fell on Kai’s shoulders. “I can tie it up for you—if you want!” Zuko urgently added.

Kai smiled. It seemed that with Zuko, there was no in-between threatening and awkward. Still, she appreciated the offer and nodded before pulling out the nearest chair and sitting.

Zuko’s eyes went wide when he realized she had actually accepted, and he simply muttered, “Right, um…” before ducking behind the counter.

He set a newly imported box of tea on the counter and carefully untied it, returning with the ribbon in his hands. Kai caught a glimpse of it as he wordlessly stepped behind the chair. It was red and satin with gold detailed embroidered into it. She heard Zuko suck in a breath before she felt his hands on the sides of her head, guiding her long hair back toward him. His fingers felt smooth as they skillfully worked her hair to the top of her head, and Kai couldn’t help but wonder why someone with so little hair knew how to tame hers. He held the hair in a knot, pulling tight enough that it burned her scalp a bit as he tied the ribbon around it. When he let go, the weight of her hair remained at the top of her head. Kai carefully tapped the top of her head until she felt the neat bun beneath her hand.

“Sorry,” Zuko immediately apologized. “It’s all I know how to do… It’s a Fire Nation thing.”

“Thank you.” Zuko didn’t come out from behind Kai, and she continued facing forward. “I was kind of worried it’d get in the way today. So… thank you.”

Silence fell upon the store again, and Kai watched as Iroh continued to take stock of his tea and herbs behind the counter. He held a pleasant smile as he busied himself, trying to look like he hadn’t been watching the two teenagers a moment ago. Kai stood and spun around to face Zuko, an action he clearly wasn’t prepared for, given the scared look painted across his face. She began slowly walking backward toward the front of the shop.

“I— um… yeah,” Kai muttered before stumbling out the door.

She bumped into a grumpy townsfolk and offered a half-hearted apology as she instantly tripped over an elephant-rat that squeaked angrily. Kai fell to the ground, the heels of her hands catching her on the edge of the fountain. She could see her reflection moving in the water beneath her. Her hair was slicked back tight, and the knot on the top of her head was like nothing she’d ever seen worn in the Earth Kingdom. It scared her to see a phantom of war staring back at her. What if they knew? She’d grown up in Ba Sing Se, and she’d never seen anyone from the Fire Nation before, but there were plenty of refugees who knew the horrors of invasion, death, and ash. Kai couldn’t bear to see it, and she pushed herself up by her throbbing hands, still healing and swelling from taking the brunt of her weight.

She kept her eyes to the ground as she rushed to the edge of town, away from the people who raised her and those who she cared for. She felt like a traitor. The dirt roads faded to green grass, and the ground became uneven under her feet. Kai reached the tree line and searched over her shoulder for any sign of humanity. She found none and fell to her knees, her pants dampening from the dewy grass in the shadows of the tree.

Inhale. Exhale. 

She dug her fingers into the earth to ground her.

Inhale. Exhale.

The soil beneath her fingernails cooled her body.

Inhale. Exhale.

A leaf fell from the tree above her and brushed Kai’s bare neck. A Shiver ran down her spine.

“Okay,” Kai said to herself. She stood from the ground, letting dirt slip through her fingers and return to the earth. “Okay.”

The solitude of the forest calmed Kai as she navigated the roots and wildlife. As much as she dreaded the humidity, Kai knew it was the breeding ground for the white dragon plant she sought, so she breathed in the heavy air and continued her search. She dove deep into the sea of trees, searching the forest floor for what seemed like days to find a plant in the shade.

The sky was cooling by the time Kai spotted the white flowers beneath a tree. She ran up to it and fell to her knees, closing her eyes and bowing to thank the spirits for providing for the universe before harvesting the petals of the flowering plant. Kai was careful to leave as much as possible to keep the bush alive and growing. She bowed to the plant again before running back along her path.

By the time she exited the tree line, the sky was turning navy and she could see the warm glow of lanterns far in the distance. Kai slowed her pace and caught her breath as she walked back to the quieting town. The bustling village had been deserted. The last merchant was pushing his covered cart away when Kai stepped into the square.

As per usual, the only light left was seeping out from the Jasmine Dragon tea shop. The doors had been dragged shut, but Kai pushed one aside enough to slip inside before closing it behind her.

“What are you doing?” Kai looked up to see Zuko, standing in the middle of the room with a broom.

“You ask too many questions.”

Kai continued into the large space toward where Iroh stood at the back counter, taking inventory for the day. Without explanation, she placed her satchel on the counter and pulled out the collection of white dragon she had collected to show Iroh. His eyes grew with confusion as he looked at the familiar petals and then up at Kai.

“I wanted to share them with you,” She explained, taking a section of the petals and offering it to the old man. “There’s more than enough for my salve.”

“I cannot accept this gift,” Iroh refused, then turned away to continue his closing activities.

“Please,” Kai insisted.

Iroh sighed and closed his eyes. “It’s too much.”

Kai rounded the counter to stand beside him, agreeing, “Yes, it is. It’s more than I need, and you know as well as I do that it won’t last long if it isn’t used. So take it, please.”

Iroh looked up at Kai, a sparkle in his eye. He finally broke into a friendly smile and said, “I like you.” The corner of her mouth turned up. “I will make you some tea. Hold on.”

“Wait, what?” Kai stuttered.

“Seobiseu,” Iroh responded simply as he took a teapot out from where it had been placed and busied himself with preparing the new tea leaves.

Kai looked up at Zuko in confusion. To her surprise, he stopped sweeping and leaned against the broomstick to explain, “It means service. It’s this tradition of giving away something for free, on the house—only for friends, though.”

“Oh no,” Kai turned back to the old man, “ You don’t have to— it was a gift it wasn’t meant to—“

Iroh hushed her and responded, “You gift me, I gift you. Seobiseu.”

Kai opened her mouth to argue further but chose not to and wandered out to the dining room where Zuko was still sweeping up the day’s dust and grime. From the back, Iroh reminded, “Prince Zuko, make sure you wipe the tables when you are done. These Ba Sing Soldiers have no grace. They spill like buffalo-yaks.”

Instantly Kai noticed the rag on the table behind him and began crossing the store. “Here, let me help you—“

“You don’t work here,” Zuko commented flatly.

Kai ignored him and took the cloth up in her hand, pointing it at the teenager and declaring, “Shut up. I’m helping you.”

There was something soothing about the quiet in the store as the three worked on their separate tasks. Kai liked it more than the cold and quiet loneliness of her own home. The warmth of the lanterns and the scent of the tea seemed inviting as Kai wiped down the tables. The soft sound of Iroh humming was the only thing to permeate the solitude, and it made Kai smile. She didn’t recognize the song, but it felt peaceful, and she didn’t want to make him stop by asking.

Once the store was clean, Kai sat down with Zuko at the table nearest to the back counter. Iroh carefully brought over the steaming teapot on a tray with small matching cups. As he poured the tea, Kai couldn’t wait anymore.

“What was that song you were humming?” She inquired as he handed her a cup. “It was very beautiful.”

Iroh smiled, and his eyes were gentle, but he seemed distant when he answered, “Fire Nation lullaby.”

“Do you have kids?” Kai asked, immediately regretting it when Zuko’s eyes dug into the table, and Iroh sighed. She was about to excuse her question when Iroh finally responded.

“A son. He was a very brave soldier.”

“I’m sorry,” she consoled. Kai was unsure what else to say, so she tried to distract herself by taking a sip of the floral tea. She closed her eyes as the warm vapors washed over her face.

“It’s okay,” Iroh forgave her with a tight-lipped smile, but she could see the water glinting in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Kai repeated before she was fully aware she was speaking. “I um… I’ve never met anyone from the Fire Nation.” It was a poor explanation, more of an excuse, really, but Kai didn’t know what else to say. It had been on her mind since seeing her reflection that morning.

The three drank their tea in quiet for a few minutes before Iroh excused himself to finish taking inventory. Kai took another sip from her cup and nearly dropped it when Zuko suddenly spoke up.

“Your hands,” he said with a vague gesture. “Are they… healing?”

“Oh, uh…” Kai struggled to pull the leather gloves off for proof. It took an uncomfortable amount of time to shift out of them, but once she did, the pink scars that spread across her palms like tree roots were out in the open. Zuko winced, and Kai hurried to cover them back up. “They’ll be okay, they’re just still healing,” she insisted, but judging by the mark on Zuko’s face, they both knew she was lying. Her hands may heal, but the marks were there to stay.

It was Zuko’s turn to say, “I’m sorry.” He looked away from her at the floor. 

“Really, it wasn’t your fault,” Kai rushed out. “I just didn’t know. I’ve never met a fire bender, I… I didn’t know you could do that.” There was a pause as Zuko refused to turn back. Kai fought the urge to ask the question she was dying to let out, like a dirty secret she just had to purge. She reached for her cup instead, but her mouth fell open and asked, “Can you show me?”

That made Zuko’s head snap right back to her. “What?”

“I’ve never seen fire bending before,” Kai explained. She couldn't help the morbid curiosity of opening Pandora's box, seeing the threat looming over her.

“That’s not a good idea,” Zuko argued, standing up from the table. 

Kai was quick to follow him up and gently beg, “Please.”

Zuko’s face turned hard, and Kai could see him thinking. He sighed and closed his eyes before holding a fist out infant of his stomach. When he opened it, there was a small flame flickering in his palm. It was small but powerful, and Kai could feel the warmth coming off of it. She was only able to admire it for a moment before her eyes grew wide at the sight of the sop door being shoved open over Zuko’s shoulder.

The flame disappeared in an instant when Zuko spun around to face the Earth Kingdom soldier that had just let himself in. Kai watched a puff of smoke rise up behind Zuko’s back, and she was quick to try to discreetly fan it away.

“What are you doing?” The soldier asked gruffly as he stood tall in his armor. “You know there’s a curfew in place.”

Kai’s eyebrows knit together, and she couldn’t help the irritated, “No, actually. This is the first I’m hearing of this.”

“It was announced this morning. In the square,” he explained simply.

“I wasn’t in the square this morning.” Kai was getting frustrated by how lightly he was taking this new infringement on an already oppressed town. “How am I supposed to do my work with a curfew. I heal people, and the sick and needy don’t stop being sick and needy just because a curfew rolls around—“

“They can wait until morning.”

“A lot of them can’t!” Kai argued with a step forward, bumping up against Zuko in front of her. To her surprise, he grabbed her wrist with the hand that he still hid behind him and squeezed. Hard. Kai could feel her blood flow stop at the pressure and resume with urgency when he loosened his grip. She took a deep breath. Kai could understand his concern. He nearly got caught fire bending a moment ago, which was kind of her fault, and now she’s arguing with a soldier who she can’t begin to outlast. He was asking her to stop. “Fine,” Kai sighed, more to Zuko’s silent request than the soldier. “I’m sorry for losing my temper. I’ll let you accompany me home, and these two can head back to their home once they finish inventory. It won’t happen again. Alright?”

The soldier gave a huff and a curt nod. Kai hesitated to follow him. Despite always being around, no one trusted the Earth Kingdom soldiers. They were known to abuse their power, and Kai dreaded the idea of leaving alone with one. Still, she stepped to the side to follow. Kai began walking to the door when she realized Zuko’s hand had never left her wrist. She turned to him in confusion, only to find him just as surprised as she had been. He quickly removed his hand and held it in his own. She gave him a small nervous smile before tentatively following the soldier out of the shop.

The walk to her door was silent. Kai had nothing to say to an Earth Kingdom soldier that wouldn’t get her arrested, and he had no obligation to make conversation with her. She stayed an arm’s length away from him the entire time, just to be sure she was out of reach. It was a relief to walk through her door and leave the soldier behind, but only for a moment. At the end of the day, she was always alone in a dark room.

Kai reached up and loosened the ribbon from her hair, letting her dark locks fall over her shoulders, kinked from the tight bun. She looked down at the red ribbon with the golden dragon embroidered into it, and she saw the flame in Zuko’s hand. The light in the dark came back to Kai as the golden threads reflected moonlight back in her face. She’d never seen anything like fire bending. Earth bending meant moving minerals found all around, but there had to be earth nearby to do it. Water bending took water from a source and manipulated it. She'd never seen air bending, but at the end of the day, it was still moving the air that is all around us, but fire—she couldn't get that tiny flame out of her head. It was alive, and it came out of nowhere. Kai quickly tied the ribbon tightly around her wrist before she could stop herself. She dreamed of fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've said before, expect a new chapter every 1-2 weeks. I'm really loving working on this, but I need to know if it's anything anyone wants to read, so please leave comments and Kudos!
> 
> Also, please link anything to me like art or favorite lines from this work in the comments! I LOVE that ish. ♥︎


	3. History Lies

It had become something of second nature for Kai to come by the Jasmine Dragon at the end of the day. It began with the excuse that with the town under curfew Iroh and Zuko could use the extra hand to close faster, but each day she showed up earlier and it became clear she wasn’t just there to help. Kai liked the company. She adored the lullaby Iroh would sing when the shop was empty, the smell of tea wafting off the tables as she wiped them down throughout the day. Eventually Zuko would have his break and they’d go wander the town together, just talking about nothing and everything all at once. Kai liked talking to Zuko.

In the days they’d talk about life, their unfiltered thoughts and interests out in the open, and at night they’d tell their darkest secrets under the forgiveness of the navy sky. Kai told Zuko about growing up in the refugee city and how much she hated the Earth Kingdom to take in people and leave them suffer. She told him how she felt guilty that it really didn’t bother her that she never knew her parents, but she felt like she was lost at sea without a nation to identify with. He knew she hated going home because all it mean was she was alone in deafening silence.

Zuko told her all the things he was dying to say. She could tell he loved the Fire Nation and that it killed him to not be able to utter a word about it. He found comfort in being able to put an arm over Kai’s shoulder and paint a picture with his other hand. A beautiful picture of people with a rich culture. He told Kai about the meaning behind the top knots, answered all her questions about their history, even told her about the turtle ducks when he would explain to her what it was like growing up as a prince.

They did learn to avoid certain topics. Zuko’ smother was off limits. He didn’t want to talk about it, and Kai could see that it hurt him, so she was cautious to leave any mention of her to Zuko’s offering. The other off limits topic was his father. They learned it just wasn’t worth fighting over. Zuko, try as he might, could never convince Kai that his father was trying to do right with the world, and Zuko would never listen when she’d tell him his father was a murderer and that no amount of honor or speaking out of turn could justify or erase the scar on his face. Each time ended in silence until someone changed the subject. There was nothing else they could do but avoid it.

Still, loved hearing him talk about the Fire Nation. Somehow, the way he told it, it didn’t seem so evil. It felt less like talking about impending doom, and more like talking about people and tradition. Kai wasn’t someone who had any of that, so she was fascinated when Zuko would talk about it, and she hung onto every word he said like a moth to a flame.

“What did it look like?” Kai asked one night in Zuko’s bedroom. They’d finished cleaning the shop early, and Iroh insisted he’d finish up on his own. Zuko was suspicious that his uncle was setting him up, but neither teen really minded. It gave them a chance to have a conversation with no hesitation.

“What did what look like?” Zuko responded, rolling onto his side. Both teens were lazily lounging on the floor of the apartment.

“The Fire Nation,” Kai answered, with a sense of majesty about the way she said it, smiling at the ceiling.

Zuko let out a breathy laugh, “You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

“Okay.” Kai contemplated where she even wanted to start. She wanted him to paint her a picture of something the thought she’d never see. Give her just a taste of the forbidden garden. “What do you look like in the Fire Nation.”

Zuko’s brows furrowed as he lifted up onto his elbow. “That’s a weird question,” he argued.

“Well I’m assuming the crown prince of the Fire Nation doesn’t exactly walk around his palace in Earth Kingdom commoner’s clothes,” Kai teased was she glanced at him.

“I’m not the crown prince,” Zuko shot back venomously before turning back to the ceiling. “I haven’t been for a while now.”

Kai sighed before rolling to her side. “I’m sorry,” she almost whispered. “I didn’t mean— I mean you must have dressed in some way before that though. The Fire Nation has so many traditions, I hardly believe that’s not one of them.”

“Red,” Zuko muttered and Kai immediately rolled her eyes.

“Red?” Kai repeated, lifting an eyebrow as if to ask, ‘Is that all I’m gonna get?’

“I don’t know what you want me to tell you,” Zuko argued.

Kai sat up and simply laughed. She knew he was grumpy, but the best she could do was keep going.

“Well you tied up my hair the other day. Is that how you used to wear it?”

“No.” Instead of begging him for more, Kai punched Zuko in the arm for being so stingy. His lip just slightly curled and Kai knew that he knew he was being difficult. “I wore my hair, I don’t know, longer.” He smiled to himself before sitting up and kneeling next to Kai. “Like this,” the boy explained as he gathered up her hair into a tall ponytail, forcing her to giggle and swat him away.

Kai turned to face him, both of the teens sitting across from each other now, knees touching.

“But when you did my hair you said it was all you knew how to do.”

Zuko’s smile faltered again and he explained, “I used to help my sister with her hair as a kid.”

Kai had to resist the urge to scream at him, ‘You have a sister!’. Something in his face said this was another one of those things she’d shouldn’t press into. Instead she continued to build in her mental image, asking, “Did you have a crown?”

He smiled, seemingly grateful for her choice to move on, but also finding her lack of knowledge adorable. Not that she should know anything about the Fire Nation, but the young prince was fond of her and loved the way she listened. “No.”

“What was your favorite place in the Fire Nation?” Kai had an endless stream of questions and always felt just short of an honest answer.

Zuko looked up at the ceiling as he contemplated before answering decisively, “Turtle-ducks.”

Kai broke into a confused smile, “What?”

“In the palace courtyard,” Zuko elaborated, “There was a pond full of turtle-ducks. My mother loved it and she used to bring us there to play and feed the turtle-ducks. It just seems so serene and simple that I love it there.”

“I can’t imagine you with a ponytail playing with turtle ducks. You’re too angry for that,” Kai teased.

“Hey, I was just a kid!” Zuko defended himself with a friendly smile while Kai’s faltered. She knew she shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help it. 

“Zuko?” The boy stilled when he heard his real name used. It didn’t happen much these days, and Kai was the only person to know who he was, and the first person to not hate him for it. Still, her use of it made him tense. Kai swallowed before spitting out her question. ”How long has it been since you left the Fire Nation?”

The fire bender took a deep breath and paused. He exhaled for what seemed like forever and Kai didn’t think he was actually going to answer, but to her surprise Zuko whispered, “Three years.”

Kai’s eyes lowered in realization. “You were just a child.”

“I was thirteen,” Zuko snapped back as if it were a correction, as if it meant something.

“You were just a child, and he burned you,” Kai huffed unable to contain her boiling energy without rising to her feet.

“I spoke out of turn,” Zuko argues, following her up.

Kai froze and turned to Zuko, abhorred as she yelled, “Why are you defending him?!”

“He’s my father. He had every right—“

“HE—“ Kai choked on her own dry throat when she realized how loudly their voices were growing and she moved back down to an angry whisper. “He had no right. You were a child.”

Kai could see the sparks beginning to form in Zuko’s mouth when he insisted, “My father is a good man! He works hard to share the Fire Nation’s greatness with the world.”

“He is a lier and a murderer.” The room when silent but the heat was unbearable. Kai tried one last time as she stared at Zuko’s rigid back. “You were a child, and he burned you and send you on an impossible task under the guise of ‘restoring your honor!’” Just to hit it home, Kai reminded him one last time, “Zuko, he burned your face!”

“Is it really that bad?” Zuko whimpered, and Kai’s eyes grew wide at the realization that the scar was his only take away from that fight.

She immediately softened and ran up to hold Zuko from behind, “No. Spirits, No! Zuko, that’s not what I meant.”

The boy shrugged off her arms but made no motion to move away. He was so angry all the time, but he wouldn’t turn his back on the nation that had betrayed him. Kai just didn’t understand any more than Zuko could understand her anger at a nation that she knew nothing about.

Kai sighed and returned to where she had been laying on the floor, as if that could rewind the entire conversation to back before their heated exchange. As she stared up at the ceiling, she asked, “What was the palace like?”

To her surprise, the floorboards next to her creaked as Zuko approached. He sat down, keeping a safe distance now that he was apprehensive. Then he started talking again, like nothing had happened.

“It’s huge. The ceilings are so high you need a ladder to reach them. Everything is red and there are golden dragons and chandeliers everywhere.” Zuko continued describing the ornamentation and extravagance, but Kai felt like she was struggling to hear him over the echoing words in her head. ‘You were a child.’

Eventually Zuko quieted, running out of things to say, things he could remember, and the room grew quiet again. For no reason Kai could discern, she began filling the silence by humming. The same melody floated from her mouth as she heard Iroh sing to himself every night. She didn’t really understand why it was dancing from her lips, but Zuko scooted closer and began absentmindedly coming his warm fingers through her hair, so she kept going.

The lullaby came to a close and Kai resolved to continuing the conversation, but she felt cautious, like she was reentering with a limp while Zuko was licking his wounds, a place she dare not put weight on. “Did your parents ever sing to you?”

“My Uncle,” Zuko corrected.

Kai waited for him to elaborate, but she could tell the young prince was choosing to keep her one step away from the subject. 

“What’s it called? That Lullaby he’s always humming,” She wondered absently as she stared through the ceiling. “He never uses any words.”

“It’s sacred it him. Singing it makes him feel closer to Lu Ten.”

Kai waited a beat and asked, “Was it bad?” She caught herself wincing before an answer could even be given.

Zuko sighed, and once again joined her by laying next to her, only propped up by his elbow enough to look down on her face. “Yeah,” He answered simply. “Yeah, it was bad.”

“What happened?”

“You said you grew up here. Do you remember the 600 day Siege of Ba Sing Se?” Zuko asked in response.

“Yeah, I was like, 12 and right on the outer wall. It was a bloodbath. Jinyi and I were struggling to keep up with the demand for healing and miracles and all I remember was how stained my hands were. I could swear they were red for days and I couldn’t get it off. I wasn’t even sure whose blood it was.” Kai realized she should have shut up after, “Yes.”

“Uncle was the general in charge of the siege. It was the most incredible advancement made by the fire nation in ages and he almost had it. It was only 600 days because that’s when Lu Ten died. My uncle felt such immense guilt that my cousin had died in his own war that he treated it like he had murdered his own son. He abandoned the siege, said that his men were tired and they’d been away from home for too long. We all knew it was because he felt guilty, because he was mourning and he couldn’t go on. Lu Ten had been his everything, the only family he had ever had of his own, so he just gave up at that point.

“That day my father brought my sister and I to perform a demonstration of our firebending for our grandfather, the Fire Lord. I was used to being a disappointment, but Azula had always been a prodigy. Everything she ever did was met with praise and still he seemed unimpressed. It was confusing, but he sent us away so he could talk to just my father. We were just stupid kids and it was Azula’s fault anyway. We were eavesdropping and heard father asking to be made heir to the throne over uncle, because he’d abandoned the siege and no one knew when he’d return home, but most of all because uncle’s line was over. All I remember was how angry and terrifying Azulon’s voice sounded when he told my father, ‘I think Iroh has suffered enough. But You? Your punishment has scarcely begun!’ I ran away after that but Azula stayed. She came back after taunting me, saying she’d heard everything, swearing that my father wanted to kill me. Azula always lies.”

Kai panicked. She felt like she was being told something the Fire Nation would have her murdered for. It made her sweat and it felt hard to breathe. Zuko seemed so far away and it scared the girl, she reached for his hand in hopes it might ground him back to the Earth Kingdom, a place he was safe. 

Zuko took her hand, but still felt the need to finish his purge. “Next thing I knew my mother had disappeared, my grandfather died, and my father was Fire Lord. So yeah, it was bad.”

“And now here you are,” Kai offered half heartedly, unsure if that was a good thing or bad thing.

“I will go back,” Zuko insisted. Kai rolled her head over to watch the light return to her friends eyes. “Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honor, and restore my rightful place on the throne.”

“And what then?” It took everything in Kai not to scoff or sigh, to try to be calm and understanding. It was a genuine question, one she had never entertained because she couldn’t fathom an existence in which the fire nation won, but what if they did? “What happens to the rest of the world when their hope is gone?”

“What do you mean?” Zuko quizzed cautiously, sensing their disagreement bubbling up once again.

“I mean, you’ve seen the world! You’ve seen what the fire nation has done to these people and you’re telling me all you want is to go back there and help them win this war? Great, your honor is restored, there’s no more avatar, the Fire Nation is all powerful. So then what happens to the rest of the world? What happens to all those people? What happens to me, Zuko? …when your precious Fire Nation fire nation takes over.” Kai takes a deep breath to cool down from rolling off the deep end. She was angry at the thought, but she also needed this. What would she do if the world turned for the first.

“The Fire Nation is prosperous, our people are happy. It is a great nation, and this was is a way for us to share that greatness with the rest of the world.” Zuko glanced at Kai and her face pressed him for answers. Real answers. The boy sighed. “What would you do?”

Kai pondered for a minute, before admitting, “I honestly don’t know. If the Fire Nation took over Ba Sing Se, knocked down that door right now, I don’t know what I’d do. On that night you’re just another dead body or a murderer.”

“You’d be safe with me,” Zuko argued.

“Don’t forget you’re a refugee too.”

That night when Kai returned home, the thought kept beating around her head like a moth trying to escape out into the light, but she could offer no light to shed on the subject, so it just flitted around in her head and she stood alone in a dark room. “Am I a dead body or a murderer. Or could I live with myself if I was neither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was SUPER dialogue heavy, but I thought it kind of needed to be, like this is a stage in them both growing to understand each other more, and places for them to sink because they can't see eye to eye.
> 
> As always, please leave kudos and comments for me! I'm an extravert and DIRE for interaction right now, so even just tell me your favorite color or an anecdote from last week, I don't know, maybe you could say something about this too lol.
> 
> Also, always feel free to connect with me on Tumblr @SavingAcadia
> 
> Love Y'all <3


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